Parishioners bear the weight of a large wooden cross on Good Friday

Members of Christ Church Cathedral and St. Barnabas Anglican Church took turns bearing the weight of a large wooden cross as they walked through the streets of Victoria during the annual Good Friday procession.

“Good Friday in the Christian calendar is terribly important and I don’t think you can fully appreciate the joy everyone sees in Easter if you don’t understand the trauma of Good Friday,” said Christ Church Cathedral parishioner Chris Coleman. “So we have a procession through downtown carrying the cross which replicates what happened on Good Friday two millennia ago.”

The procession, in its 38th year in Victoria, is a symbolic re-enactment of the story of Jesus walking to his crucifixion.

“Going by the law courts for example is cathartic in some ways. It forces you to think through the narrative of what happened more than 2,000 years ago,” said Coleman, who has attended all but the first year.

A service was held in Christ Church Cathedral following the procession.